There is no way to qualify Shabazz Napier as underappreciated, but there is a tendency to almost forget about him when the conversation shifts to the UConn greats on the basketball court. He moved into that company Monday.

Napier posted the 10th triple-double in program history in an 80-62 victory over Yale in a matinee at the XL Center, scoring 14 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and adding 10 assists. He is the only player on the list to have a pair of triple-doubles, though it is worth mentioning that he is the only player on the list to have stayed for four years.

It is, without a doubt, a tremendous accomplishment. But in the rebounding department, the accomplishment is the definition of "mixed blessing." It is both wonderful and disconcerting to have a guard who rebounds the way Napier does.

"In the second half, they took it to us on the rebounding," UConn coach Kevin Ollie said. "Our rebounding effort is about pride. We didn't have pride to put that jersey on today."

While that might be exaggerating the point a bit, Ollie's annoyance is understandable given UConn's issues in the rebounding department last year. It's even more understandable after the Huskies narrowly topped Maryland on the boards Friday night.

Most disconcerting is giving up 22 offensive rebounds in being beaten 43-31 on the backboards. Of course, there are multiple ways to look at that, myriad ways to view a Napier rebounding total that generally doesn't belong to a 6-foot-1 point guard.

"When you miss a lot of shots, there are a lot of rebounds," Yale coach James Jones said.

"Amida (Brimah), Phillip (Nolan), DeAndre (Daniels), they all box out," Napier said. "I'm just the guy to grab it as soon as it falls on the floor. My guy doesn't usually go for rebounds so it makes it easier for me. Those big guys do the dirty work. Sometimes the ball drops in their hands, sometimes I go get it."

And then there's the opposite view. UConn likes to run and push tempo, Napier doing most of the pushing. If he's in the paint grabbing rebounds, it takes that much more effort to push the ball. If UConn has trouble rebounding, it can't get out on the break.

The 19th-ranked Huskies ran wild against Maryland. Against Yale, they had eight fast-break points.

Napier did everything Monday. It was great to watch, but he needs help in one area. Your point guard should not typically have nearly four times as many rebounds than any teammate half a foot taller than him.

"It's going to be tough in practice," Napier said. "Coach hates (getting outrebounded so badly). We all don't like to play that way. Certain things happen and you have to deal with it.

"I know coach doesn't want it. I'm not going to complain as long as we win games."

UConn survived last year with a horrific rebounding team, but it had no size. Napier had an innate ability to pluck beauty from ugly. That he did it again Monday is a bit of an issue. UConn has size this year. It should not get drubbed on the boards to the tune of 28-16 in the second half as happened against Yale.

Napier's game was his typical magnificence: Controlled, involved, smart. When Yale cut a 57-36 deficit to 66-55, Napier converted a three-point play and then quickly drained a 3-pointer to crush Yale's comeback hopes.

He shouldn't have needed to carry the rebounding load, too.

"He's in a good place right now and we need him to keep it up," Ollie said. "And if he wasn't rebounding, I don't know what would have happened."

Post a reader comment

We encourage your feedback and dialog. Please be civil and respectful.If you're witty, to the point and quotable, your reader comments may also be included on the Around the Towns page of The Sunday Republican. Readers must be registered and logged in to post comments on the site. Registration is free. Click Here to register.
A Subscription is not required to post comments only a Registration.